346 British Dogs. 



then look out ! Seldom twice mauled in a lifetime, almost always once ; 

 excellent noses (scent) and hardy feet, running all day on shore cairns 

 without complaining. One great virtue also is, they are kindly towards 

 each other, even when their blood is up. 



" Now, anyone who knows what Dandie Dinmonts (pure) are knows how 

 unsafe they are when roused ; or any cross with bull blood, how apt to 

 quarrel in a cairn. I think I have adduced sufficient evidence to prove, 

 what I shall presently show, is the proper description of the genuine 

 Skye. I might adduce a great deal more, but consider it would be 

 perfectly superfluous, considering the position of the gentleman supplying 

 the information and their long experiences of this most valuable terrier. 

 To begin, then, with head, it should be longish rather than round, muzzle 

 broad, not snipey, jaw strong and muscular. Eyes dark brown, not so 

 large or prominent as those of the Dandie, but they are very expressive 

 of determination and intelligence ; any watery stains near the eye 

 show a decided cross. Ears are V shaped, broad at the roots, but taper- 

 ing to a point ; they are covered with short soft silky hair, not like the 

 body coat, which is hard or wiry. The drop ear should drop to the front, 

 and the prick-eared variety should stand erect and be entirely free of long 

 hair, either falling down or standing out like awns or barley corns. There 

 can be no doubt but dogs having the above appendages are more or less 

 crossed with some other breeds, and yet some I have seen on the show 

 bench, with this addition to their ears, were, in many other respects, very 

 good dogs. The dog Otter, of which an engraving is given, and to which 

 the artist has done full justice, is scarce eleven months old, and is de- 

 scended from the black wiry-haired Camusennaries on the dam's side, and 

 the famous Mogstads on that of the sire, was bred at Armade, Skye, by 

 J. Shaw, Esq., who has made the pure Skye a speciality for many years ; 

 and Otter has been pronounced by several eminent judges of the breed to 

 be all but faultless, and possessing the best head and ears, as a Skye 

 terrier, ever sent across the Border. Length of ear from 2|in. to Sin. 

 Neck strong and muscular, about Sin. long, and from 9in. to lOin. in 

 girth. Body, long in proportion to the dog's height, but not by any 

 means a ' caterpillar ' one ; chest and ribs deep, body flat, not round. 

 This seems to be a great provision of nature, as these dogs, when forcing 

 their way into a burrow or den, can work as well lying on their sides as 

 on their bellies. Length from shoulder to root of tail, from 13in. to 17in. ; 



